This invention was the subject matter of Document Disclosure Program Registration No. 255465 which was filed in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on June 14, 1990.
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,226,103; 4,325,237; 4738,126; and 4,747,623; the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse locking devices for glad hand brake line couplers.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, these prior art constructions are uniformly deficient in that they require the lock to be either an integral part of the device, or specifically designed for use with the device. In addition, should it become necessary to break the lock so that the device may be removed, the device must also be broken, or in the alternative, the glad hand brake lines or couplers must be severed.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new type of locking device for glad hand brake line couplers that may be releasably attached with a conventional pad lock. The provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.